001We're 6:30. Call the meeting to order. Um, we'll do roll call. Mike Bolier. >> Michael Buller. He present. >> Rudy Delury. He present. >> Kirstston Erlandson. >> Kirsten Erson. Andor. >> Pam Ferington. >> Pam Fington. Marbor. Carrie Folino >> Carrie Folino Marorrow >> Drew Goffin Marorrow >> Jessica Hall Jessica Hall Hein Amy >> Romanchuck Amy Roman Marorrow Scott Soyette running late Alisa Touty >> uh Lisa Touty Hein Connecticut >> and Heather Summer from Hein Connecticut the administration that's present >> Colin McMarenda Gallup business manager Uh >> yeah, well the admin who are here just >> Michael. >> Thanks guys. >> Okay, great. Thanks. If we can all stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under
002God indivisible. >> Okay. So, um, before we get started, I wanted to thought it might be helpful to kind of explain the refere referendum process, which is dictated by the Connecticut State Statute and is ultimately driving the timeline for this. I wanted to remind the board and members of the public about the process that we must follow leading up to the referendum. We recognize that this this timeline is moving very quickly, but with the referendum scheduled for May 26, we must ensure that we hold to all the required meetings that we need to have. We're going to start tonight with the public budget hearing where Dr. McNamera will present recommended adjustments to the region 8 budget for the 2026 2027 fiscal year. After his presentation, the board can discuss his recommendation and members of the
003public will be provided an opportunity to make comments or ask questions during the public I'm sorry, during the public comment portion of the agenda. We will set a limit for public comments and questions to three minutes in order to provide everyone an opportunity to speak, but we will allow additional opportunities for people to make additional comments once we have gone through the the sign up list for those attending in person and for those that have raised their hand online digitally. Immediately following the public budget hearing, we will have a special board meeting where the board will adopt the budget. And then on Monday, May 25th, we will have a district budget meeting. This is when the board will adjourn um the meeting and set the budget to referendum on Tuesday, May 26. This meeting will
004be held virtually as done earlier this year with the first referendum. Um and tonight we're going to have Jessica Hall be the timekeeper for the questions. If you haven't already signed up, there is a signup sheet in the back. Um, and we'll go through the public comments here in the room first and then we'll move to online and then we'll circle back for any seconds that anybody may have. Um, I want to thank everybody for coming out again. We know that this has been a a very spirited debate on the budgets in all of the town. Um, and you know, I think that we um have some interesting proposals for you to to move forward. And with that, we will turn it over to you and you can get started. >> Wonderful. Thank you, Eric.
005If you wouldn't put putting up the presentation, it' be great. So, there's obviously been a lot of conversation throughout the community this class size and I felt it would be really important to start the conversation tonight with just giving some context about class size. Um, one of the things obviously that we have done through other budget periods as well as this budget process is we have uh made reductions in staff. Um there are more reductions which I'm going to talk about as I go through my presentation uh for next school year as well. But um Eric, if you wouldn't mind just going to the first slide. I I know it's hard for people uh here in the audience to see, so I'll kind of go through it. But what I've provided on each of the
006following two slides is our anticipated class size by content area for next school year. So um the slideshow and and again this this slide deck will be made available online tomorrow. Um so uh basically what I did was I provided a span of the range uh of from smallest class to largest class in con by content area by school. So for art the class size ranges from anywhere from five to up to 22 and the average uh class size is 13.38. Career and technical education classes the range is 6 to 20 and the average is 13. English reading class size ranges from 3 to 20. I think it's important to note that those those on the smaller side uh there's there's three small class sizes for reading. Those are intervention blocks, but they do take
007up a period of time of a teacher schedule. So, but that's for students receiving remedial support and instruction uh in the areas of reading. Uh math, we have class sizes ranging from 5 to 20 and the average is 12.5. General music class size ranges from 3 to 15 and the average is 12.18. Bizad Health class size goes from 7 to 23 and the average is 15.92. Science class size ranges from 6 to 23 and the average is 14.08. Social studies the range is 6 to 22 with an average of 14.08. And finally world language there is a class size range from 5 to 21 and the average is 14.94. At the high school for the next slide I'll go through the same exercise. So in art it's goes again from 3 to 18 the average
008is 10.73. CTE career technical education class sizes range from 6 to 18 and the average is 12.6. English the class size range is from 3 to 22 and the average is 14.7. Math the class size ranges from 4 to 21 and the average is 13.75. Music 4 to 29 with an average of 13.8. Bizad and health class size range from 8 to 21 and the average is 15.3. Um, science it's a range of 4 to 20 and the average is 12.4. Social studies it's a range of 6 to 22 with an average of 16.87. World language it's a range from 6 to 22 and an average of 14.6. Um, what I I think is important to note particularly with the high school class size is these numbers are going to change. They're going to change
009in between now and next week. They're going to change in between next week and the beginning of and and the end of the school year. So, the high school administrative team um led by our scheduling guru, Mr. Mater, uh does a lot to um uh just try to get a balanced schedule. Um there's going to be kids that come in and change change classes. They'll there'll be an app ad drop period at the start of the school year, which will change things. Um, but these are numbers that I'm providing to you based off of the the the mock schedule that we've done to this point. Um, just, you know, on the topic of class size, again, I know that, you know, there's been a lot of conversation about it. I think it's important to note
010a couple of things. Um, we have reduced uh teachers at at RAM um more so at the high school level than we have um at the middle school. I think in the past since 2018 2019, it's been close to 20 teachers that have been reduced across the district. the majority of those have been at the high school. Um, one of the things that's also important to note about class sizes is up until this past year when we had uh updated projections, our enrollment at Ram High School was projected to increase by 200 students over the next 10 years. And we've been very conscientious to try to maintain staffing levels because we knew that well we anticipated that that that rise in um uh in enrollment would uh would was coming our way. Um obviously uh
011the projected enrollments that we got uh for this uh upcoming fiscal year that are they're projected to remain relatively steady. Uh we will continue to go through the exercise that we've been doing since I came to RAM which is every single time we have a retirement or a resignation. We look very closely at class sizes. We look closely at what class offerings would it be impacted. Um and we make a well-informed decision about whether or not we maintain staff through attrition or not maintain staff through attrition. So, wanted to provide that context to the board as I go through the presentation or once I conclude the presentation, I can certainly take questions if board members have them. We're going to move on and talk a little bit about um the budget next. So, I wanted
012to start off and provide a context of where we were back in April 6 of 2026 at our last time that we had our public budget hearing. The budget that was recommended at that time was $33,661,483 which was reflective of 3.19 increase and it was a net operating budget of $33,1614 or 161,483 and a capital budget of $500,000. Since the um budget did not pass referendum, um we have been working uh tirelessly to try to come up with a list of recommended adjustments and reductions that could be made to the uh both the operating budget and the capital budget. I want to thank Eva, our business manager, Michael Schlayhoffer, who have spent more time in my office this past five days uh than they'd care to. I also want to thank the administrative team who
013has also provided uh us with a lot of input on this. This is something that obviously we take very seriously. We want to make sure that we have a budget that can be uh supported by the community and hopefully these recommendations will move us in that direction. If I can go to the next slide please Eric, it'd be great. So this first slide is is showing um recommended adjustments to the operating budget uh for reductions related to personnel. Uh the first uh one is uh $386,000 358 386358 reduction in salaries and benefits for four positions. Um since the time our budget was adopted in uh early April um till where we sit today uh we've actually had two teachers that have informed us that they are planning to retire at the conclusion of this year.
014Those are two positions that as I said we went through that exercise and those are positions that we do not need to backfill so we can move those forward uh as as removing them from the budget. We've also again after the budget um was adopted by the board on April 6 uh we had a high school science teacher resign. It's yet another position that we do not need to fill. And finally, we also have a special education pareducator vacancy that we um are willing to um uh put into this uh consideration for adjusting and removing from the budget. So again, $386,000 from for those four positions for sal through salaries and benefits. The next one is uh we just these this is a it's a $64,000 reduction. um that is a com it's it's it's
015the total of a number of different smaller reductions. It's from the daily substitute line um our custodial temporary services that we do rely upon when we are short staffed for custodial help and also our unemployment compensation line again uh those three things in total equal out to $64,000. So in total for personnel reductions $450,358. Next slide please Eric. So these are more uh recommended adjustments, reductions from our operating budget. So u special education, tuition and services and special education transportation to approximately $160,000. Our special education numbers um fluctuate from from from could be from month to month or or from year to year. Um, we have students that are constantly that that that might be coming into district who are outplaced or there are students that are coming out of district that were outplaced. And
016oftentimes there are students that were outplaced and then they're coming back into district and being serviced by uh um our in district programs. But we uh feel comfortable that we can reduce $160,000 from those two uh areas. Um, we also I'm also recommending that the board um approve the pre-purchase of maintenance equipment, furniture, and repairs to the tune of $52,25. Those those things include we had a paint sprayer um we had a paint uh I'm sorry, a field sprayer. Um, we had it in next year's budget uh for $12,000. I believe it was going to be a finance package over five years to um finance uh basically lease to own or finance to own. Um the piece of equipment itself is almost $60,000. So what our recommendation is take the $12,000 out of the budget
017and use money from our current um from our current budget to pre-purchase that piece of equipment. Similarly, we had to have work we have to have work done to a pump house which is in between the high school and the uh maintenance garage. It is uh it is in disre significant disrepair and needs to be rebuilt. Um again, we've spoken with the contractor that we would work with to have that work done and he feels comfortable that he could get the job done before June 30th, which we would need to do if we're going to use this year's budget to to do it. There's also some electrical work that needs to be done as well as the purchase of a door in one of our auditorium rooms. Um again, in in totality that's about $52,000.
018And then there's just some general supplies um that we're reducing and that's $6,000. So, between the personnel reductions of $450 and the non-personnel reductions from the operating budget of uh $220,000 and um basically we're at 670,87474 reductions from the operating budget. Um moving on to the next slide, we also have some adjustments that need to be made to our capital budget. Um, our largest ticket item on our capital budget for next year was um, it was and still is uh, the replacement of the loading dock, which absolutely 100% needs to be done for next year. Based off of feedback that we have gotten from a contractor, we put into the capital budget uh, $425,000 approximately for that project. However, just last Thursday, the bids came in on that project. We went out the proposal. The
019bids came in I think on Wednesday or Thursday of last week. And unfortunately the bids were higher than what we expected them to be. So the bid total between the cost of the project plus the contingency uh line of that budget actually increases that particular thing from 425 to 507. So that's a shift that we do need to make. However, there are some reductions that I'm going to recommend happening as well. Um, one of the things that was in the capital budget was doing the line painting in the parking lots and on the roadways. Um, that's a safety concern that was identified actually in a safety audit a couple years ago. Um, that's a two a $21,500 project. Again, my recommendation is that we remove that from uh next year's capital budget and we complete
020before June 30th of this year with current fiscal fund fiscal year funding. Um, we do need to continue to keep the catch basin project in there. That remains unchanged at $58,300. So, with the movement that needs to happen is the total revised capital budget goes from $500,000 up to $566,000. However, what my recommendation to the board is is to utilize money from our education fund for educational expenditures. Um, we had a we just transferred in $235,000 from that was uh in uh that was a surplus from last year's budget. The board has committed to using that fund to tackle expensive capital projects that need to be addressed. Primarily we've done a lot with our athletic fields. Um our track obviously was paid for. A large share of it was paid for by that fund. Um,
021but we feel like it is a good use of the funds and I think it demonstrates um a real effort on the board's part to um come in and and be responsive to the concerns of the community. That would leave, if we use that $235,000 and apply it to the total capital budget, our capital budget would go from what it had been of $500,000 to $331,037. Um and again so so that would be the the total cost of the of the budget uh for capital. If we go to the next slide please Erica it would be great. Um the the um last piece of of of adjustments that we would need to talk about is our adjustments to revenue. Um while certainly the the decrease of approximately $160,000 uh for special education services uh transportation
022and tuition is is obviously advantageous to the district. It does come with a reduction. We we calculated a a reduction of approximately $26,000 from our excess cost fund. So excess cost is a grant that grant funds that we get from the state for high-cost special education um uh students. And uh because of the fact that we're getting less m uh we have our our budget for special education has been reduced, we do anticipate a reduction in that excess cost reimbursement. So we actually would have to uh decrease our revenue by $26,000. However, we also have uh we're also budgeting for an additional student from Colombia who uh is going to be coming to RAM. So between reducing by $26,000 but increasing by $15,000, it it would be a total net reduction in revenue of $10,642.
023So those are the adjustments that I'm recommending. What I'd like to do is just go to the next slide, please, Eric. And so this is just a quick kind of where we started and where we are now. So I just called it the budget adjustments to date. I feel it's important to have for people to have a context of where we started in comparison to where we are right now. So, when I first presented the budget to the board of education on January 26, it was a budget of $34,176,011, which was reflective of a 4.77% increase. And again, I do want to highlight and and and point out that that actually was um that number and that percentage was also reflective of 800 approximately $800,000 of uh either items, personnel, or services that had initially
024been requested by budget owners. If that amount had not been removed um prior to even being presented to the board, my my initial ask would have been a 7.42%. Um but again, that didn't even come to this board. I just took those things out uh through conversations with with budget owners. Um on February 23rd, uh the board um direct or prior to February 23rd, I should say, the board directed me to make recommendations about how we could reduce our budget. and I came back to the board and proposed a budget that was reflect that was a $33 million uh $33,640,646 and that was reflective of a a 3.13% increase and and in between that February time frame and when it eventually went went to referendum it was a bit of a moving number if you
025may remember it went up at one point I believe when I presented to the town of Hein it was a 3.3% budget there was shifting going on with regards to um primarily health insurance costs because we weren't quite sure where our health insurance numbers were going to land. But again, the number that we adopted with the board um on April 6 was was that 3.19% increase. And so that brings us to where we are today after that obviously was not supported by members of the community. Um the recommendations that I've just discussed with you previously in the in the slide presentation uh are $839,837 and would result in a budget of 32,832,558 which is reflective of a 0.0 I'm sorry a 0.65% increase. Um that is obviously a a much better number and hopefully one
026that could be supported by members of the community. We go to the next slide please Eric. So, you know, if this is a number that the board is comfortable with doing, um, these are the numbers we would need to adopt. A net operating budget of 32,51,251 and a capital budget of $331,37. Um, and just the final slide I'd like to go over before I um, you know, take questions from from starting with the board is I wanted to obviously share about how that's going to impact our three member towns and and um, between the reductions that we just talked about making coupled with the credit offset and interest that is going to be provided to each of our three member towns. You could see in the f in the furthest uh, column to the right
027the impact of the town budget. It shows that in Andover they're going to be um their their member town levy is going to be $342,96 less than what it was this year. For Hein, it's going to be less than or less by $231,978. And for Marorrow, it's going to be less by $941,243. That concludes my presentation and I can certainly take any questions that board members might have. had a question about the special ed para. Has that been a vacant position? >> It's a vacant position. Correct. We we've we do fill them. So, I was I didn't want to initially propose that as a reduction, but obviously we want to be responsive to the concerns of the community and we know it's a position that we can give up for the time being. It might
028be one that we have to come back for. That's always a possibility with special education pair educators. >> Anybody else? I just wanted to ask I thought maybe it was two Colombia students being added. >> It's a great question. So it is technically we have two Colombia students coming into district well two Colombia students that are coming into to RAM but there's possibly the possibility of one Colombia student moving out of Colombia and so because of that it's a net gain of one. Do >> any of the board members that are online have any questions? No, I'm set. >> All set. Thank you. >> Okay, >> everybody's good. We're gonna go >> Michael. >> So, we got it. >> I was just interested in because we had done this in the past as we've talked
029about the revenue side talking about paytoplay. >> Yep. So, I know the community is interested in lowering the budget and revenue is one aspect of something we could look into. Have you thought about that? >> Yeah, I I I you know, I've thought about the idea of paytoplay and I'm I'm I would it's not a recommendation that I would make to this board. Um what I could I while I was not here uh when the process happened, you know, Eva certainly was and I know our administrative team was, um it was a very controversial topic. Um and there was a lot of people obviously in favor of go going away from paytoplay. Um my understanding is there was a sense that people were being double taxed, right? So they were paying their personal property tax
030to support the RAM budget to support the programs. The other thing too that I just want to clarify, it wasn't just pay to play. Thank you for correcting me. It was actually pay to participate because it wasn't just sports. It was actually sports and clubs and the after school clubs as well. So we called it okay. I think that makes sense. >> Come on. >> Yep. So So it was it was again it was a it was a the idea of eliminating that to pro you know uh to provide uh access for students to alleviate some of the financial stress that it was causing for families. um it was really not a significant I won't say it was nothing um but it was not a a significant uh driver of of revenue or provider of
031revenue. In fact during the 201920 school year uh when it was last budgeted for uh it was budgeted for a revenue of about $168,000. Um, and um, again, I personally think if we're trying to get our budget passed, I think that if it was something that was introduced into the conversation and the board was seriously considering bringing back into the table or bringing back into the fold, I think it would um it would actually be uh uh counterproductive to to to getting our budget passed because I think you'd have a a high turnout of of sports parents who would who would actually vote the budget down who would other otherwise be very supportive of it. Um, not that we as a district need to do what what other districts are doing. It doesn't really, you
032know, but it is important to note. I did ask our athletic director to provide me with some data from other CCC school districts. That's the uh athletic conference we're in. Um, the majority of uh districts in CCC do not do pay to play or pay to participate. Um, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 out of 29 actually still do it. Um, for those of you on the board who who aren't aware or for those of you in the audience aren't aware, pay to play or pay to participate means there's a a cost per season per student athlete. And usually it comes there's also a family cap that's associated with it. So like my my I I had pay to play. I didn't like it as a parent. Um I noticed when
033our athletic director gave us this chart, uh Taland, which is where I live, has the costliest pay to play. It was a three we I paid $300 for each season that my kids played and I had kids playing five sports um or five seasons. Um and there was a cap at uh $1,50. Um so I hit it thankfully after two seasons, but um but that's that's kind of how it works. So in other places it was it's different amounts. In some school districts it's 120. It's in some school districts 100 per season. The family cap might be lower than 1,50. It could be 300 or 400. Um but again I I I would not recommend um the board entertaining bringing that back in. I just think that it would be counterproductive to us uh actually
034getting the budget to pass. >> I would add that we would lose Colombia students to EO immediately >> and I think kids would not participate as much as they are >> and taking advantage of all the programs and after school activities and sports if there was a price. What would be a good what would be a a good illustration for taxpayers and such would be a breakdown. Maybe how difficult would it be to say um the basketball team, the football team is the expense taxpayers is X because this the concept of paytoplay is you know offensive to some people. But if you said if let's let's say you know it cost $250,000 for the football team. I'm just throwing out a number. It might be completely that may get people goof. That's you know a
035little sticker shop you know. So >> I I'd rather not present it this year >> but I'd like to you know me I always ask what does it cost? What is this what are these things costing us before we can make you know decisions? And I think if we're going to have the discussion to pay to play or pay to participate, we should do it with information. >> Sure. >> About what things cost. >> I also want to just add too because my daughter plays three sports too, but there's a lot of parent organizations that go behind that, you know, like friends of youth lacrosse or, you know, that are raising money and like the parents, the families were raising money that goes towards the season, too. So there is a cost associated to that.
036Families are already contributing for seasons. >> Yeah. I think I mean I remember Claudia got to remember too when um our oldest kids were here it was like two or three years of paytoplay and um you know my kids well it was just one at that point but she played something every season. So I would cap off at whatever the max was. But you know a lot of you know what what Amy is saying parents are giving giving money to get you know the t-shirts if they show up at a competition everybody comes out in the same t-shirt and then they look the t-shirt off and they're in their cheer uniform or what have you. So there's a lot of money that goes on behind the scenes for parents um that's kept out of the
037schools um you know the right shoes the you know all of that stuff that I think doesn't get get accounted for in the regular budget that that's a burden on the parents. I mean, I could, you know, if if the desire of the board is for me to come back at some point with information about kind of how we could break it down potentially like a per athlete per cost or or what, you know, kind of we could try Eva and I and Michelle would work on being able to come up with something that we could give to you. Um, I will say that like it's never going to be perfect because you're going to have a sport to your point like a football that has expensive equipment. Oh yeah. that that you know comparatively
038speaking >> football or lacrosse I would call you know a helmet sport >> to be a little bit more money than say basketball or like a volleyball >> and it would I again I think it would be important for us to have that information >> sure >> because if it becomes an issue at least if we decide because you know we talk about parents paying more money for pay to play or pay to participate Well, how about people who don't? It's one thing for somebody who doesn't have kids in the school to pay for the education, but well, now I'm paying for the football team and I'm paying for the volleyball team, you know, if you're if you're retired or or whatnot. So, I'd like to just I'm not saying it's a great idea or
039it's a it's going to save us a ton of money. I just think we should look at the information and then figure out if it's something worth exploring the information. Sure. >> Yeah. I mean, just like the class size issue. Sorry. Go ahead. >> Are there other programs that we can look at within the school that are costing taxpayers money like this such as I guess Jessica inquiry? >> Are those trips funded by taxpayers or by the parents? >> Yeah. So, >> this a lot by it should be everything. >> Yeah. I mean really really you know it's field trips are built into the budget whether and it's not just inquiry team. I mean it's you know our medical career students at the high school we have our uh manufacturing kids go on go on
040field trips. So there are you know there are classes or content areas that do lend themselves not just teams um but there are there are certainly content areas that lend themselves to more field trips than than other field trips. And you know um what we the way that we look at it is if if we feel it's a it's a curriculum that's a part of I'm sorry if it's a field trip that's a part of the curriculum then we don't go to the parents and say hey you need to pony up money for this right um if if it's a if it's a field trip like if we we have students who um are go are going to go on a field trip a music field trip um coming up. They're going to go to
041Nashville next year. It's going to be a great opportunity for them to get see a lot of learn about music production and and music performance. And that is something that is, you know, going to come with a cost for the families. But to Amy's point, we have a phenomenally strong music boosters program who basically the message that is being delivered to the kids is we want this to be affordable for all kids, right? We don't want this to be a a case of some kids can afford to do it or some families can afford to do it, other kids don't. So, because we don't want to be in a situation where we say, "Hey, we're going to go on a field trip to someplace for this particular class." And the kid comes back and says,
042"Well, I can't afford the 30 bucks to do that." Or a family says, "I can't afford 30 bucks to do that." Well, then we're not going to say, "Well, sorry, you can't go on this field trip." Right. So, we budget for those types of experiences. But again, I can certainly try to come up with some numbers on Sure. Thank you. >> Yeah. And I think it's important. I mean, we had this discussion about class size, but we really didn't discuss what it costs to have the music program or the inquiry team or the football team or lacrosse team and all those other things. And those are probably significant slugs in our budget. Given the towns, especially Hebrin, which voted down our budget by a thousand people, it I think it behooves us to take that
043deep tide for next year. And I would also be be mindful not to think of it as double taxation because if in fact we did pay to participate, then that would reduce the budget and so the taxes would be less and it shifts the cost to the people who are actually using the programs. So there is a it's not getting charged twice because there is a reduction. I can just speak on behalf of inquiry team. It's just an approach to learning. It's still math and reading and science. It's not extra. It's just a cohesive approach with kids who loop from seventh state. >> So, so to be fair here, Michael and I are are asking that we just take instead of just class size is look at everything and and just really understand what this
044costs. How many kids are in the inquiry team? >> 65ish right now, I think. Michael >> and they're going on their own field trips just within that group. >> Any other comments on this? Anybody online um from the board? >> Um I have a question. I don't know if I can ask it now, but when you have the paytoplay, I also had a child who would some of my children were pay to play and we have paid for other students to play because their parents couldn't do it and and I was fine with that. We could, but my question is um does that pertain you have a we have a lot of other clubs, whether it's a drama club, a um or a pottery club or whatever. We have a lot of other functions. Do
045they have to pay to be in those particular outside curriculums or just sports is kind of what we want the money for? >> Well, so like I said earlier, Lisa, it the the model that we had here when it was in existence was pay to participate. So it was clubs, not just athletics. >> Oh well, will it be this time also? it. I could provide information to the board about the cost of running clubs and running applicants and we could >> and I I don't know if it's still that way, but I know like for uh basketball when you buy the sports boosters or whatever, you get your tickets that money doesn't go all to basketball. It didn't then, maybe it does now, but that did go to supplies to the school and stuff. So,
046I just want to make sure that it's fair across the board for all clubs and all parents participating in things. >> Yeah. If if money is raised by a booster organization, it for a particular sport, the money is given is is is for that particular sport to support. >> Okay. That's it. Didn't used to be that way. And like I said, I I'm I said I'm I'm not sure if it's still that way, but I do know I it was something like if you bought the it if you bought the season ticket of the sports booster, it did, but if you paid at the door, it did not, but I don't know if >> gate gate money is is gate money is is different than sports boosters. >> Yes. >> Okay. Can I speak to
047that, Colin? >> Cherry, go ahead. >> Thank you. I'm just saying because I'm um on the RAM boosters that handles the memberships. So what has happened now over all these years is there's so many friends of boosters uh different sports boosters. So we actually take that money and that money stays with us. were not associated with any one sport. This was the original RAM boosters. That money actually um goes to things we we discuss with the athletic director what's needed and also we're the ones that do the senior scholarships every year and offer a scholarship um to at least one um one two students usually um male female which based on essay days. Um, so that's where that money goes. >> No, that's great. You've done a great job and thank you for all the
048support and all the time you put in. I know it's sometimes can be thankless, but thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> Anybody else on online board? Yeah, I could I could I also address now as a RAM board person um the I kind of I agree with what you said. I mean, from my standpoint, if they're going to go and start attaching price tags to sports, I and music, I kind of feel like it should be going and affecting all the clubs because, you know, how do you pick and choose? Now, in terms of the inquiry, I'm I don't know who is speaking, but I agree it's still part of the learning. My son did inquiry. I think it's a great program and I think it's very effective for certain kids who learn
049better by that approach. So that's my two cents. >> Okay. Anybody else online from the board? >> Okay. So I think that's going to bring us to public comment. There was a couple people who came in after I snuck the board away. I wasn't sure if you were gonna make public comment, Melissa, or behind. >> Okay. I just didn't want to leave you off the list. Um, so first on the list was M. So, and you have to go up here and it because this microphone it doesn't project in here, but it's for the people online. >> This working? >> Yes. >> It that won't it won't amplify your voicemail. So, >> yeah. I I I speak loud >> and so and please state your name and the town. >> Sure. My name is Malcolm
050Leer. I'm the 62 Hebrin and I've been quiet for this whole budget session. My background is I was an educator for eight years. I worked in private industry. Uh I was also a school business manager and I'm here to talk about a couple of things. First of all, and I had no idea you were going to talk about pay-per- play, but I would start with pay play saying rather than we're always looking for efficiencies and I think the suggestion of looking at everything is how we gain the knowledge if we're being efficient where we're spending money. However, if you're going to look at sports and clubs differently from reading, writing, or arithmetic, I think that's wrong. uh having been married to a special ed teacher and special ed director uh for 50 years and she
051worked for 37 and a half years, I know that some kids graduate from high school because of sports, because of special interests. And to put a different value on extracurricular activities as opposed to the daily classes, I think is not a good approach. We've seen paper play before. uh it took years to get rid of it and I think getting rid of it was the right thing to do. I'm also here and I'll leave that one as it is. I'm also here to talk a little bit about uh class size and I think the public needs to understand that when this building was built, it was built with rooms that are small to begin with. That class size at a high school is different than class size at an elementary school. class size at a
052high school gives students the opportunity to explore many, many different opportunities, advanced placement type courses, courses that the normal high schools don't have like Latin or Greek or mythology. And to some students, that's going to be their future, a good high school. And I believe we have a good high school. My wife and I have two children that have gradu both graduated from RAM. They had very successful college careers and they're now members of society that are on their own. They contribute. They have professions and they're doing very well. In order for a high school to be successful, they have to have these very amount of of classes. We know we know uh parents who have children they graduated from college in three years or three and a half years because they were able to
053take college credit courses at RAM. So I think we have to continue with the broad offerings and we also have to understand that because you see it here section of five and three and two sometimes those kids are in the same class at the same time period. So sections is different than class size. And I know our administrators and I I heard at the last meeting here from somebody that you folks do consolidate classes. If you have French two and French three with five kids each, there's technically there could be 10 kids in that class. >> I'm sorry the timer. >> So that's what I have to say about both of those things and thank you for the opportunity to speak. >> Okay, that will bring us to Terry. McManus 169 North Street. Thank you,
054Madam Chair. Presentation has thrown totally out of the water. I appreciate >> hopefully in a good way. Well, I shouldn't say totally read the beginning of it. >> That's great. >> Praise the God. I stand before you to request a 0% increase budget for the coming fiscal year. I ask the same for the human board of education at yesterday's board of finance. I believe that this can be done to meet the state's minimum budgetary requirements. Between yesterday's meeting and now, I've been characterized again as being ignorant of the educational system. And I have to say that this is getting old. And the shaming of taxpayers is getting old. And the back and forth as to who is at fault, taxpayer, board, superintendent, all that's getting old. But I'd like to say this, all of us
055essentially, let's get over ourselves. We're all good people. We're all trying to to achieve the same thing. Now, I had a couple other things that was going to go on for the rest of the 2.7 and really isn't permanent at this point. All I'm looking forward is a real effort by this board and by the rest of the town to make sure our town survives. I believe we are in great fiscal trouble. I do not make the uh 0% lightly. I know what it would mean and I hate it when we come here. We've seen this many times where you guys are struggling to find savings. Great discussion on pay, but honest with you, it's not going to make much difference. I'm going to say this out loud in public. The driver of the educational
056cost in this town is that 80%. Salary and benefits and it can't get discussed now because it's uh a contractual issue. I understand that. But it will be discussed in a couple months or whenever the cycle comes. You as a board control the cost of this school. You control those negotiations for uh employees. Own your budget. Own that 85%. If that's what you think is needed, don't say it's out of our control. Say we love our employees and we're going to pay them the best we can. One or the other. You can't just say it's out of control. Our control. I disagree with it. Own it. Brag about it. the uh taxpayers decide that we're going forward. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to everyone here. I really appreciate the vote. >> I did
057have five seconds. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Hey, Craig Donaki is yet next. >> Okay. Uh Rob Hudri. >> Hello, Rob 31. I'm here as a president and as a chair of So, uh, like Terry and speech that I did. So, I have a couple questions and if I call the wrong thing, please correct me. The 2% budget reserve that you get, where is that now? And what would it be if this proposed budget pass? So that's the $235,000 that the the total amount in that about is >> so there's a fund called the reserve for general education expenditures and currently there's about 300,000 in that fund that is earmarked for field improvement. So recommended motion by the superintendent is to take 235,000 which was the deposited amount in this fiscal year
058and offset the capital improvement for next year. >> Okay. So you're not going to be coming close to the 2% $78,000. >> No, that's we're we're So we the fun you call it a 2% fund. The technical name for it is the fund for educational expenditures. Okay. approximately in that fund right now is $300,000. There was about 70 and then we put the surplus from last year's budget into it to about we did that in March. It was about $235,000. Okay. >> We're taking the totality of the surplus from last year's budget and we're applying it to next year's budget to reduce next year's budget. >> So what will be >> approximately $70,000? $65,000. >> Okay. >> Correct. Um the slide that you had with town less can you just give me the numbers give
059me what the first referendum was for each town and what your proponent for the second referendum is. So >> the offense >> if if you want to come and get a copy of this if you want the numbers just so you have >> all the stuff I don't want the offsets. I want the first referendum but the differences per town >> I I have to do some math. I mean the what was proposed it's on a slide deck from April 6. So so the the numbers there and Eva can work on giving the calculations. >> Okay. Maybe maybe about by the end of >> by the end of the meeting we can have that information. Not that >> and there are no administrative adjustments in this budget. >> I don't know what you mean by
060administrative adjustments. >> So administrators who are not teachers for >> adjustments how so reductions. >> Yeah. >> No. >> I think you should consider. >> Thank you for your feedback. And then that'll bring me to some of my uh the political reality of this vote is especially significant and I know it's not lost. All the budgets presented to voters Graham received the biggest level of support. In fact, dozens of residents supported the local board of education and the local keeper budget voted against I know it's not loss but I just want to make sure that you understand. I say you should consider administering us. I think that's what keeps us. >> Is there anybody else in the room that would like to make public comment? I don't have anybody else on the Melissa. I'm not
061good at this. Um I don't speak publicly often. Um I'm a resident. I live in Heinston. >> Just your full name. >> All right. Melissa Day. Um I am a teacher at Gileia Hill. I've been teaching there for about three years. Um I have two girls who go to RAM. Um one in middle school, one in high school. I'm seeing um I'm a special teacher. I work for very students that you're going to get a big influx in a couple of years. Um there is a lot of funding that's needed for special ed. Um I know there's not proposed cuts to that. However, the I I'm just seeing this big question, I guess, for the for the board. Who oversees your finance? Is there So, I was on the board of finance meeting last night
062for Hebrin and I heard they want to make $300,000 cuts to board event. Ram's not on the table. Ram's not on the table. What do you mean by that? So, I'm just starting to learn the process, trying to get involved, trying to understand because we have a school um that has what 700 kids or so with one superintendent. Has there ever been thought about superintendent is my question. Um restructure something here. There is the top down. It's very heavy out here and us on the ground who are working really hard to get our students and our kids what they need are getting cut. We're talking music programs now I um the program school psychologist might be going again. Um, I don't know how we're going to do it. And so I I've listened to the
063postc um I again have been following it very closely, but I think we need to look deeper. We have to outside. I know things are contractual, but you know, there's always negotiations when it comes to contracts. I've I've been put on breezes for years. Um, I just think we need to think outside the box and it's going to get voted down again and again and again until we see the numbers increase. Anybody else in the room? Okay. >> Clarifying question. >> Sure. >> On the account that Rob was asking about the money that's being transferred, it's going to have $,000 at the end of the school year. If I remember correctly, numbers are small. At the end of the school year, if you had surplus again, are you going to refill that account? the the
064board has the ability per state statute to take surplus up to 2% of the previous year's total budget, so whatever that dollar amount is, and put it into that fund for educational expenditures. >> If that fund is empty, it's already full. You can't do that. >> No, you can you can continue to put money into it year after year after year after year. The fund does not go away. >> No, I understand that part. It's the amount that >> there is not a cap. We've used that. So just just again for context that fund has saved a lot of money from with regards because it's all things that we needed to get done because our turf was in our practice fields, our competition fields, our track. There's other project we had um um ADA, we
065were out of compliance for uh the ADA for our middle school baseball field. We actually used it was about $260,000 from that fund to pay for that so that we brought that field to be in compliance with Americans with Americans with Disabilities Act. Um it's it's it's benefited the district tremendously and we've not had to go to the towns to say, "Hey, we need a referendum or we need money for these projects." because we are strategically using that fund to address issues that need to be addressed. We have we have other things that continue to need to be addressed. The the the the baseball field is unusable after any type of a rainstorm because it it floods in the outfield and we literally can't use it for games. So, we have to relocate games after
066after any type of a rainstorm. We can't have a home game. So, we have to relocate games. That is another thing that we plan on doing in the future to address some of the athletic field conditions that that are in disrepair or need to be addressed and that fund has allowed us to do that. >> Sure. um you didn't have that one. What would be the process by which? >> It would either be we'd have to include it in our capital budget or it would have to be something like referendum. Like for example, um one of the thing there's been we've talked about going to referendum for some large scale projects that we need to have. One of the projects that we do intend to include in the referendum actually is uh redoing the tennis
067courts. Our tennis courts are not in good condition. Um and and the the that's a project that the total cost of the project is is unless we continue to build that fund for educational expenditure for many many years. Um so we plan on including the reconstruction and rebuild of the tennis courts and the tennis courts fencing into you know eventually when we get a referendum. So that's that's the way we would do it. But like the the issue though is like with the track for example. Um we were able to fix the track in a in a in a time that enabled us to to use it to continue to use it. If if we didn't have that $700,000 from the fund for their educational expenditures, we wouldn't have been able to do the track
068and our kids wouldn't be participating in in in track. We would have no home meets. We literally wouldn't be able to use that track. >> Well, same subject. Is there an anticip a comment and a question? Um, first of all, Terry, your your question of would you add that money to that account couldn't be added till after the audit? So, it couldn't be added for next year. Question is, >> is there an anticipated balance of the educational budget at the end of this year? at this point after you've done the pre- purchase and the repairs and things like that, do you have a anticipated balance? >> I think it's too early to say. I I I I would not want to say because I don't want to be giving out a number at this moment
069in time and then have that come back to bite us. >> Understand >> that which could easily happen. >> Okay, I'm going to move to the people online. I have anybody with their hands raised? Davis How? >> Yes. >> Did you want to make a public comment? >> Yes, I do. >> Okay. >> Davis Howell, 190 Gilead Street. Um, been a resident town for about 40 years. Um, I've got a few questions. Um, these are going to be more observations than really comments. One, overall an increase of 65% of $2.2 million in reductions. Congratulations, guy. Guys, I never expected that. So, I I I I commend you for doing that. And Jess, let me know when I run out because I've got a number of items here. >> I'll let you know. >> Okay. Two,
070change in class sizes. Um, week to week, I don't buy that. I don't know about you guys, but when I went to high school, when I went to college, it was a set schedule. How do you change class sizes week to week? So, I challenge that. also overall class size increase over the next 10 years. All of the stuff I've looked at, ed site, state boards, everything is showing a significant decline in student population over the next 10 to 15 years. I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers. Educate me. I would love to know that. Okay. Um, you also came up with a point about four positions. There's two high school English teachers that retired, don't need to backfill. My question is why did you have them there now? If you don't need to
071backfill them, did you really need them now? So I I, you know, I question that. Okay. Reserve fund. You mentioned $235,000. This is a stickler for me. I sat at the re original RAM budget presentation and oh $2.7 million. You know, we made a mistake. And I get that. I understand that. You gave back 1.6 million. Then you said, "Oh, we had another fund that we took 700 grand out of to help do the track field." So I'm sitting here saying 2.773.4. Now you're talking about 235,000. How much do you really have in your reserve funds? Really, I really question that. I am done at this point. I will say thank you very much for your efforts. Thank you so much for your contributions. I'm on the planning and zoning commission and I know the
072efforts that that go into this. So, thank you very much for all of this. I appreciate it. >> So, so I could try my best to answer the questions. I might need you to refresh me on what they were because I wasn't quick enough to write them down. >> That's fine. That's fine. So the first >> the first the first statement that you made was something about the schedules changing week to week. What I what I meant is that happens between now and the end of this current school year. We have students that are meeting with school counseling staff every day and they're going in and they're saying, "Hey, you know, I want to shift to this or I want to shift to that." So those classes, thank you. are those class changes that I'm
073talking about that will happen between now and the end of this school year and even into the first couple of weeks of the first of the beginning of next school year are for the class schedule for next school year once we get past week one week two of next school year that movement will stop the movement will stay there is not shifting at that point so if I um didn't express that clearly enough I apologize for that >> no I appreciate that thank Thank you very much. I now now I have a better understanding. >> All right. The the the second question you asked if I refresh my memory please. Teachers, why were they >> challenging the increase in the student population reading says it's going down. >> So the what I could So the
074numbers that we get for our projections don't come from Edsite. Um I don't really rely heavily on any information coming from the state. Um, the projections that we get come from, uh, the New England uh, school development council, NASDAQ. It's a it's a company that we work with that does our projections for us. They do the projections for Hebrin. They do the projections for Andover, Marorrow, and Ram. They had our projections slated to increase over the next 10 years by 200 students at the high school. and they had the projections. I can't remember what it was at the middle school, but they were also projected to increase at the middle school. That was the projections we had during last year's budget process. The updated projections that we got from NASDAQ for this budget year has
075the projections raining rel our enrollment remaining relatively flat for the next 10 years. So, >> okay, >> that's that that's where we got our numbers from. As far as your question about uh if we don't need to backfill those positions now, why didn't we talk about eliminating them back in April? It's an easy answer. I've said it before in public meetings. I have worked to maintain positions because we have a lot of veteran staff who are very close to retirement and I am trying to keep positions except through attrition. I've been able to do that. We as a collective group, this board has been supportive of that for the past four years that I've been here and we've still come in with very very very reasonable budget uh increases from year to year. That's again
076that's that's not new information. I've spoken about that publicly. So when I when I had the resignation and the two retirements that came up, we sat down. We said we do not need to replace these positions and that's the direction we're moving in with them. Um, does that address all the questions that you've asked? >> Um, outside of the reserve fund, yes. >> So, yeah. So, I I'm not I was a little confused by our question, but what I could say to you is the res the the reserve for educational expenditures is a fund that's been in existence, I think, for about six or seven years when it was legislatively allowed. >> Yep. You're right. And that's been a fund that the district has maintained and surplus from a previous year once the to Mal's
077point once the audit's been completed the district has if kept up to 2% allocated it to that fund and the money's been used to address significant capital needs primarily for athletic field repairs that need to be made. However, we've done it for more than that. Um, I guess although that you know when we had our a well run dry, an irrigation well run dry, so technically I guess related to athletics, you know, that that would have been a a $125,000 price tag, I think, or somewhere in that neck of the woods. But we were able to use funds from that account to address we had to frack the well. We had to redrill a we had to drill a brand new well and then we had to frack the brand new the brand new well
078because it didn't produce enough yield uh to to irrigate our fields. But we had that money. it was available for us and enabled us to address those needs in that real time because if we didn't have th that funds to do it, it would have been difficult for us to do it and we had just invested $250,000 in field repairs. So, it was very timely that we got that got those projects done. Um I I don't know what other funds you're asking about. I can try to clarify if you if I didn't give you enough information or respond to your question. >> Okay, let let me give you my background. uh it was sitting in the the original RAM budget presentation. Um up came the 2.7 million accounting error and I kind of said, "Okay,
079I get that." You know, I understand that habit and it builds up, but we're only going to give you back 1.6 million. >> It It wasn't It wasn't 2.7. It was one It was 1.7, I believe. >> Okay. Now I'm confused. >> Yes. Yeah. So it's it was last year, >> correct? It was it was 1.7 that had been in there and then there was money that from this year that that's going into it. So >> well, the River East reported 2.7. >> So that's the number I've been running with in my head, >> you know. So okay, so it's 1.7. So this kind of negates my argument to be very honest with you because I'm sitting here saying it was okay 1.7. You mentioned we took 700 grand out of another account, unassigned account
080and applied it to the track field. >> That was the thought that was the fund for educational expenditures. >> Let me finish. >> Okay. >> I just want to make sure you're accurate in what your understanding is. >> Okay. So, how much unassigned funds does RAM really have? That's my question. >> Yeah. I mean, at at this moment in time like what what do you like there there's information in our audit book that gives information about unassigned funds and assigned fund balance. I I I can't give you exactly the but understand the $750,000 that I talked about that was allocated to the track and again I I can't remember the exact amount but we took money from the fund for educational expenditures and we used that collaboratively with money from that we budgeted out of
081the capital budget for this year and that is what enabled us to address the track that that's that was not unassigned money that was money that was put into that fund for educational expenditure as we are legally allowed. >> Okay. All right. Because it was originally expressed when I was sitting in the meeting as unassigned funds. So I immediately associated that to the 1.7 million and said, "Well, how much money do you really have in that fund?" So, okay. Okay. I get it. Okay. >> I apologize if I wasn't clear. >> Okay. I'm a happy camper. >> Okay. >> And I'm done. Thank you very much for your time. >> That's a cumulative fun. That's why you ended up with 700 in it that you could pay for that track over several years. You accumulated
082the 700. >> You're you're Yeah. So you're you're >> So that's where So it isn't It didn't come out of last year's stuff. It came out of a cumulative fun, which is what I think is misleading. >> Yeah. So it came out of So again, I don't know if it all came out in a single year or if it came out over multiple years, but it was the district is allowed to keep up to 2% from the previous year's budget if there is a surplus available. If there's not 2% available, then the district will put what is available, and that's where that $235,000 that you asked about came from. So we had a $235,000 surplus from last year's budget. the board moved that money into the fund for educational expenditures and now it's going to
083be spent to help reduce the cost of the loan. >> Hey, anybody else online? Last chance for um questions. >> We're good online. Okay. Anybody else in the room? Terry? was quite discussion. Um, there may be a chance for me to come out of this meeting with a greater understanding than question I've had for a long time. And I think we're talking the same things, but I'm not sure. In 2022, I asked the acting administrator after he explained that they were going to start saving monies to repair the walls, I asked them something along the lines. So, the district just defeated a bond issue to do summer in Paris. And then I said, "So, you're going to find another way for the taxpayer to pay for the repair in Paris?" and he said yes. Now
084I I had a hard time with that but that's water under the bridge. My question is are we talking about the same thing here? Is this the fund that he was talking about or other savings accounts talking about? >> I I I can't speak to what Mr. Leslie was saying, but I based off of what you're you've described to me, it wouldn't surprise me if he meant this fund for educational >> basically meets that sixyear time frame that you're talking >> it sounds about right >> which would have started in Pat's administration. >> Correct. >> And the original error that we just got paid back from was from that time frame also. So in a lot of ways in my mind right now I'm thinking that vehicles were set up in order to enhance the
085ability of schools to do their business. Schools attempted to start doing that and I think mistakes may have been made is the community is very much interested in where this money came from. At some point in time I'm sure it'll be expended. I'm just gonna walk away talking about the same thing to all of us and I'm not sure. I would really like to know that anyways. Thank you, Madam Chair. Appreciate the time. >> Anybody? >> Sure. >> There was a couple things I asked that I really didn't get. I think I'm so nervous that I have an answer for who oversees the board. >> The board. >> Nobody oversees your >> Well, the taxpayers do and you do it through voting >> and you're involved here. Yes. >> You're all you all look at
086the money together like what you read the books together. You know where all these funds are. I'm sure you as a business manager does that often. But it's just you guys. There's nobody that oversees me, >> just the taxpayers when you >> not the board of not board of finance, which that was really news to me. I learned last night because we are putting this whole town well including Marvel and you guys are you guys are the ones and that's a big job and I really appreciate your time and your effort. But I know there's so many people that are just so unhappy right now. so and we're and I'm just trying to figure out and I think a lot of people here are saying the same things like here's all these funds is that
087public like can we dive because it's all out there. Okay. >> Yes. >> I would love to like just >> so if I could because I'm with you when I first came on the board I did not really have full awareness of what this was was going to be like. Um but through our regular board meetings if there's anything that we are going to spend that you know might be unusual or unplanned for um was brought up on social media about our lovely shades which apparently don't protect us from heat because we're all roasting in here like rotisserie chickens. Um furniture I got to say it. This is my chance. That was all donated. We didn't spend any money on that. Um, so but all of those things are discussed in the regular board meeting.
088So the donation had to be acknowledged and recognized by the board. Um, if we're going to spend something, you know, we're going to discuss, hey, we're going to get new window shades. Um, that happens in the month-to-month board meetings. But when it comes to the budget time, then there's these guys do a tremendous amount of work of putting together the proposals for what they think they need. It goes to Colin first. It gets discussed and that's that first cut that he said it came in and it was here and we were like, "Nope, that's never going to fly. We got to get it down." So they go back and they figure it out and they do things all sorts of, you know, different things. They curtail replacing furniture. they, you know, the budget, the department
089heads come in. There's a series of three, I think, nights where they come in and they say, "Here's what I'm presenting." And you'll hear them say, "We're going to we cut back on this." I actually heard them say, "I'm not replacing the magic markers this year," which just blew my mind, you know, but all of those happened for the public throughout the, you know, you know, prior to obviously this point, we had the opportunity to ask questions to push back. Um, we came back and we said we thought that that the next budget, the three, >> what was it the three >> three point? it was in there was too high >> and could we could you go back to these guys and try and cut it some more. >> So that came to the
0903.19. The other part of that is we go to all the other towns and we meet with their um board of finance and and town manager and you know report out give them what their portion is going to be. they give feedback, you know, and and that's kind of how it all comes together and then we go forth with what we think is the best way to support. Um, and it gets voted on. And, you know, obviously we were wrong on this one. Um, the the community didn't, at least the Hebrew community didn't have an appetite for for our budget. So, it was clear, we heard it, we went back. um they look that look at it again where else can we cut and we try and find these these opportunities to to bring it
091down. >> Thank you for clarifying that really is very helpful. Um I was also wondering I did ask the other question about has there ever been talk about regionalizing super >> I'll take that one too. >> It'd be nice to hear from our superintendent as well. He lives in every day. >> I'll happily speak to it if you want me to. >> Um and I share this with Rob. I am actually a supporter of that. How we get there, I don't you know there there are opportunities that that we've been discussing of doing little things like can we have the same cafeteria provider who had a kid in RAM and who had a kid in the elementary school and you're working off two apps to fund their lunch account because there's two different providers. Like
092can we get any economies on that? >> I feel like it would be great if we could get like And everything is so separate. Y >> and I'm understanding more why but like >> superintendent down there is a superintendent there and we have these small school districts and you go to Glenbury and we've got one superintendent for >> like you probably know how many districts I mean how many schools >> they get pushy. >> They do have a lot of assistant superintendent and other districts too. >> I agree. I mean, I don't know what your day is and I'm a teacher like daytoday what you do. So, by no means am I saying I'm just saying I think we need to think outside the box and if the discussion has been discussed I've missed it.
093Um, and I'm clear, you know, new to the town and teaching. I've worked in culture. I've worked autism program. I mean, I've been teaching forever, but I've never been in the politics side of it. So, I'm just trying to learn like it just seems like there's and please don't by any means take this the wrong way, but you guys, you know, are making some decent money and have a small district, whereas, you know, that could be a cut. Like, I hate to say like you should be cut. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying like I think we need to think outside of the box where some of these this money is that for for these towns that we're you know everything inflation right now is just it's really tough. >> Yeah. So just to
094kind of piggyback on some of the stuff that Heather said is is you know we do talk as a collective group of superintendents about like hey do you have a I need a part-time music teacher somebody to teach 2 Spanish or point this or whatever. Like even you you mentioned when you started up earlier, you mentioned the idea of a of the reduction of a school psychologist in your district. I spoke to your superintendent a couple of months ago and I said, "Hey, I understand that you're having some we're all I said we have I believe that if we looked at this closely enough, we might have the capacity to share a position and and and I offered that and I said, "Talk to me if you're interested." And and I haven't heard anything. So,
095but like those types of those types of conversations do take place because and and to to Heather's point when we went out for food service contract at was it last it was last year for for last year um we I offered to the three other superintendents and said hey we could we could do this together and Marboro decided to jump in with us and over at Hein said no we're good we're staying with what we have. So I I don't disagree with that. You like you might be surprised like it's a tremendously inefficient way of doing it. What I could tell you is that I worked in a regional school district as a principal. I worked actually in um the kids have feeded to Eio Smith High School. So I worked in Willington. This was
09620 years ago. Guess what they were talking about? Why don't we regionalize? Why don't we like this doesn't make sense? Because there was a superintendent in Willington and Ashford and Mansfield and Smith. what it came down to, at least in that situation. I'm not saying it's the same here, but the towns didn't want to give up control. And I'm not saying that in a critical way of anybody in this room, but that's what it came down to. The towns did not want to give up the local control of their school district to a region because that's what would ultimately have to happen. And it was at one point regional. We everybody at one point Marbor Andover and Hebrin and region um 8 fell under one umbrella and slowly they started to peel off because one
097of the school districts from my understanding of it didn't feel like they were getting the same amount of attention as another school district. So they said we're go we're going independent. We're we're we're disassociating ourselves from the region. And one district did it. Then another district did it. And then finally the last district did it. And you're right. It creates tremendous inefficiencies because for there to be a single superintendent and for there to be a single director of pupil services and for for a district that has a comprehensive high school, a middle school, and three or four elementary schools is is not an uncommon thing in any way, shape, or form. >> So So you're believe me, Heather and I talk about this quite often. She >> I I mean I think that once like
098I don't know what the people are what their thoughts are but like if I just I think we need something I just I just >> No, I I agree and I think I'll be honest. I don't even know how we start the conversation. I don't know if it sits with the town councils, but I do know that the other towns have to say, "Yeah, we're interested in this." I don't understand why they wouldn't be. >> Pam, >> hi. I'm sorry. I just wanted to just uh kind of back up what Colin said. Um, we were regional back in the day and you, that is 100% right. one school district felt they were not given kind of the same amount of attention and uh the next thing you know we were um not not regionalized anymore.
099Um and I have been hearing and this was a while ago now. This was probably oh gosh I don't know 25 maybe 30 years ago. This is a long time ago now. And I have been hearing some talk around about why we're not you know doing this. There are some people who um who you know remember the days when oh you town didn't get enough you know support whatever. Um but Heather I think you're right. I think it it ends up going back to um you know back to the towns to have those conversations and come together. It's not really board issues uh to make those decisions, right? That has to be a town uh decision that three towns would have to come together um to do that. But I have heard some talk recently
100about people wanting to look into that again. >> Well, given the financial pressures, too, maybe people will be more receptive to it now than they were a few years ago, you know. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. And again, um it was that way. So, I'm sure for whatever reason, uh, it moved away, you know, um, but there aren't too many people, I think, on the boards who are, you know, were around back then. Um, but certainly there's a lot of discussion about trying it again. >> Okay. Well, thank you. Did we answer everything for you? Okay. Um, this is bringing us to the end. >> Yep. Go ahead. >> Three quick comments. You don't have >> You said one. >> Number one, regarding regalization coming in as a number two, NZDE, I don't know what the alternatives
101are. They haven't done a great job. Board of Education's numbers have been off the last four years. Sounds like they were off for you. If there's a alternative you could use, probably find it. they've been very wrong. Um, and number three, the process of saving up to 2% surplus into a reserve fund. Obviously, we've talked about it a lot. It causes a lot of questions. I don't think it builds trust. I totally understand why you do it, but I think I'm more comfortable with the other process that you laid out. Um, the the alternative process by which you would pay for those things. Um, just something to think about. Thank you. >> Okay. So, is this your last chance? Go ahead, Mel. >> One comment. >> Go ahead, >> Matt. Lighter. Many people have asked
102about how many dollars are in what fund every year by state law. Every school system has to be audited. And I believe, I know they were uh the audits for RAM used to be on the website and I believe they still are. You don't have to be an accountant to necessarily read them. Uh, and I know that if you talk to the business office, Ava is very well qualified to explain anything you might not understand, but those numbers are out there. There's no need to guess. >> Anybody online? >> Everybody in here? Okay. >> Thank you so much. I think this was really a great conversation. We talked about a lot of different things, stuff that we haven't talked about before. um given us, you know, more to to think about. Um we really appreciate
103everybody's engagement. We know this has just been it's been a hard year um for for the budget. So So thank you. And with that, we are going to ask for a motion to >> I move we adjourn. >> Okay, Drew is ready. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? I >> All right. Thank you >> from the public. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh why don't we take a five minute quick break and then we'll convene the special board meeting next. to call the special meeting um to order. >> Roll call. Mike Buller. >> Uh Mike Ber. >> Rudy Del Fury. >> Rudy Delury here. >> Kirsten Erson Pam. Barbara, we've got you online. >> Yep. >> Thank you. Y >> Carrie Folino. >> Okay. Jessica Hall. >> Jessica Hall.
104Neither. >> Drew Goffin. >> Drew Gin. Marorrow. >> Amy Romanchuck. >> Amy Roman. Marorrow. >> Scott Soyette. Lisa Touty, >> Lisa Touty, Hebrin, >> and Heather Summer from Hebrin. Um, can we do the pledge of allegiance again? >> It's on the agenda. >> Okay, it's on the agenda. We got to do the pledge of allegiance again. Sorry. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> This is Carrie Felino. I'm on the phone. >> Thanks, Carrie. >> All right. So um Kebran Andover Marorrow community engagement in attendance at BOE public meetings is welcome. Public comment segment of the meeting agenda is set aside so the BOE may receive public comments. Procedurally public
105remarks will be limited to three minutes and citizens will be asked to identify themselves. Because the BOE is limited by the Freedom of Information Act to discussing only matters on the agenda. BOE is not permitted to engage in a discussion of the comments presented. Um is there anybody Terry? Go ahead. 169 North Street. Madam Chair, this can be a little redundant, but we are in the different meeting. I urge this board for the budget more than what last year was 0%. We talked about all the reasons. Don't need to repeat those. There's one thing I want to say though. I really appreciate every single one of you. Without you, we'd be in a mess. I'm not sure where this budget is going to go. I know I would like to see more testing, but it
106is a privilege right now to be standing in front of you and addressing the story. Thank you very much. There >> anybody online who would like to make public comment? Good. Anybody else in here? Okay. Um, so item four on the agenda is a discussion of possible action regarding the regional school district 8 proposed operating and capital budgets for 2026 and 2027. We um we have a motion that the board adopt the proposed 2026 2027 operating budget in the amount of 32 million 501,251 and the proposed 2026 2027 capital improvement budget in the amount of $331,37. >> So move I'll I'll make the motion. Okay, we're gonna take Drew as the first, take Mike as the second. Okay. Um, >> okay. So, anybody from any other comments that they would like regarding the budget that's
107been discussed tonight? >> I just want to say thank you. Really, thank you. Anybody online? >> All right. Um All right. So then if we just >> vote, we're going to vote, right? >> That's usual. Okay. All in favor? >> I >> Anyone opposed? Anyone abstain? Motion passes. And then we need a motion for adjournment. >> So move. >> Mike Bolier is first. Amy Romanchuk is second. All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone opposed? Okay. Thank you.